Chef Antonio Friscia branches out from his Italian food background to do a Japanese noodle house in the Gaslamp.
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

Specifically, gaijin means a non-Japanese person, and the noodle house got the moniker, Friscia says, “because I’m an Italian doing some Japanese food, my interpretation of it. Clearly it’s not going to be 100-percent traditional.”

With his gaijin partners from the West Group (Bar West; The Griffin), Friscia will give the Gaslamp juicy yakitori cooked over a Bincho charcoal grill, and pickled stuff from the Japanese pickling book, and nine noodle soups.

I ask Friscia if gaijin is actually a pejorative word.

"Depends on if you say it angry."

You'll find Gaijin in a lounge-y space, in the old Cheese Shop spot between Hooters and the Shout House, at 627 Fourth Ave. Surprise: Interior designer Jules Wilson (Brooklyn Bagel & Bialy) won't be going for an Occidental look.